


memories like shooting stars

by reysbucky



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bookstore Owner Ben Solo, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Good Parents Leia Organa and Han Solo, High School, High School Flashbacks, Leia and Han are good parents, Luke Is A Good Uncle, Orphan Rey (Star Wars), Painter Rey, Parents Leia Organa and Han Solo, Post-High School, Repressed Memories, Scenes from the past, Smut, they are kids at the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reysbucky/pseuds/reysbucky
Summary: Rey meets Ben when she really needs a friend. Their friendship is strong enough to last for a lifetime, even with all the problems of adult life.ORRey and Ben's friendship is rare and special until it stops being only platonic.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	memories like shooting stars

**Author's Note:**

> hello! thanks for deciding to read this story of mine. this is my first Reylo fic, but I love them so much that I couldn't resist writing this idea down. I hope you can somewhat enjoy it!

There were clouds hanging heavy on the sky, thunder roaring from behind the mountains and a chill ran over Rey’s shoulder wherever she went. She didn’t like the orphanage, nor did she like being outside and wandering around. The little girl had quickly learned that sometimes it was better to go with the lesser evil which was sneaking outside whenever she could. It was cold for a late summer night, but she didn’t mind.

The women from the orphanage would soon notice that she was gone, but she was promising herself at least another hour of free roaming around until she had to head back to the plain, dark building she had learnt to hate so much. Rey tried to get rid of those thoughts, trying to focus on the pitter patter of the rain, how the small raindrops felt nice on her skin if she gave herself the chance to enjoy it.

Conder Street was a chilly, dark place. Nothing like the streets some other orphanages were located in, nothing like a warm, safe space she could be happy in. But what even was happiness?

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, she was reminded of the time running out when she heard the loud sound of the bells. It was already four and she didn’t even make it out of the street she despised so much. Her footsteps echoed through the tight side alley, her hands brushing over the raw stone walls next to her.

She could hear the distant, funky music from a nearby feast, so she followed it through the small alleyways. Rey’s small hands were wet and rough from gliding over the stone, but she couldn’t care less when her jaw dropped, standing in front of the large Skywalker fair. She had of course heard about it, from some of the children that had been there with their parents before they got put into the orphanage. Sometimes she heard Miss Ross talk about it to the older kids.

Despite the bad, chilly weather, the fair was filled with people and music. Laughter echoed over to Rey, standing on the opposite side of the road. She didn’t have any money on her, despite the few cents she had left from the past Christmas, but it wouldn’t stop her from at least having a closer look at the spectacle. Her feet automatically dragged her across the road, the smell of popcorn and sweets reaching her nose. Rey couldn’t hide a small giggle into her hand while she walked between the different booths. Most of them were lit with nice lights, different colours illuminating the place in an almost christmasy feeling. But this was so much better than the bitter, cold Christmas she had experienced at the orphanage.

This was a beam of light in the dingy weather.

Before she could admire the first ride of the fair, she bumped into someone, almost falling over from the sudden impact. „Oh, I’m sorry,“ she mumbled under her breath, stepping back a few steps immediately. The boy, probably around her age, looked up at her with wide eyes. „I’m sorry too,“ he whispered, his cheeks turning red.

Rey noticed the toy in the boy’s hand, an old doll of a Jedi. The Jedi had been gone for hundreds of years, but the legends still lived on and so did the toys sold in every toy store. Rey had often wished for one of those dolls and she even had a smaller one back in her room at the orphanage. „I like your toy!“ She exclaimed excitedly. The little girl wished to reach out and take a closer look at the detailed lightsaber in the doll’s hand.

The boy lifted the doll a little, admiring its features with a smile while his dark hair framed his face. Rey noted the big nose and rosy cheeks. Maybe she would see the boy again sometime.

„I have another one over there,“ he said and pointed to a man and a woman, probably the boy’s parents. Rey noticed the similarity between the man and the boy, especially in the smile the man gave her and that the boy had on his face now as well.

„Can I see it?“ She asked excitedly. Rey had already seen different versions of Jedi dolls, but each one seemed unique. Except the ones they always advertised on TV, those often had the colours of their lightsabers switched, but nothing else changed. The boy nodded eagerly and ran off to his parents, scrambling through his mothers handbag immediately.

Rey trailed behind, a bit nervous to go over to two strangers. But they were in the middle of a mass of people, nothing could happen to her now. Someone would see if she did get hurt like she sometimes saw in the movies when the older kids were allowed to use the TV.

„Look!“ The boy almost yelled, proud of the second doll he had brought with him. This one seemed to be a bit older since its face had tiny bits of the white plastic texture exposed. „I like this one more,“ Rey admitted openly with a shrug, pointing to the newer doll.

Instead of arguing with Rey about which doll was better, the boy tilted his head to the side and jumped onto the backrest of the green bench. „What is your name? I’m Ben!“

„Rey,“ she said simply, feeling a bit uncomfortable by the two adults staring at her back. She could practically feel their stares since they never left after she had followed Ben.

Rey looked away from the boy with his dolls and turned to the woman instead, her brown hair hanging loosely over her shoulders while she had a small smile on her lips. Her brown eyes had a comforting warmth to them. Rey noticed they were almost identical with the Ben’s.

„Where are your parents, Rey?“ She asked softly, placing a hand on Rey’s shoulder. The girl flinched, but didn’t look away from the woman. „Not here,“ Rey answered simply, her voice almost breaking. Her parents couldn’t be here. Rey didn’t even have an idea where they were, but they were not here. They had never been.

„I’m Leia. And this is my husband, Han. Do you maybe need help to find them?“ The woman, _Leia_ , asked again. Rey didn’t know how to answer this. She was normally honest to everyone, never afraid to speak her mind, but now she felt like her throat was sealed by an invisible string around it.

„Uh…“ she started, tears rushing to her eyes. She didn’t like talking about her parents. Especially not on dark, rainy days. Especially not in the middle of a fair she had wanted to enjoy. Especially not in the middle of a happy family.

Rey was pulled out of the dark hole she was falling down, when Ben’s voice broke her train of thought. „D-Do you still want to play?“ He asked.

That day, Rey had found a friend. Ben was the friend she never had in the orphanage and his parents had become the only adults she really trusted. The women at the orphanage were often a bit mean to her, didn’t really like listening to her problems, and as she grew up, every problem seemed to complicated to talk about with someone who barely knew her.

Rey had been nine when she had first met Ben. Now she was a bit older and lucky enough to go to the same school as he did. When they had found out, the dark haired boy had let out a sound of excitement she had never heard before from him. His dark eyes lit up with the pure shine of happiness and the squeal he had let out caused his father to run upstairs. When Rey told him the good news as well, he had been happy for her as her own father probably should have been.

High School was more complicated than she had anticipated. It was filled with weird comments about her life, stressing about her grades and the bizarre need to fit in. Rey had never felt like she _had_ to fit in. If she could, she probably would have been happy, but now she was actually confronted with _having_ to fit in. At least, Ben didn’t quite fit in either.

His mother was able to light up every room, but Ben had grown to be a much more quiet person. He often had his nose buried in various books, only ever showed his more exciting side when he was at home or alone with Rey.

Rey was happy that she wasn’t the only odd one out. Ben’s clothing matched his personality. He often wore dark or colourless clothes, a contrast to Rey’s simple, but more colourful style. Still, they matched in a way not even the most popular friend duo in school could match… they understood each other without any effort to.

In fact, that never changed, not even after they left school. They were two sides of the same medal, the best and worst parts of each other.

And now they were 23 and 26 and the world so much more complicated.


End file.
